bullyxtreme Chapter 1041 Ninth Master is in Trouble
Chapter 1041 Ninth Master is in Trouble
Murata Takasuke and Li Qun slunk away from the police station. Ma Dazhi, standing by the office window, watched their disheveled figures get into a car, which drove out of the police station as if fleeing.
He knew that the Special Higher Police and No. 76 were unlikely to give up so easily. After all, 20 shi of rice had disappeared, and the rice held by farmers and landlords in the small towns was being taken away by an invisible force. It would be difficult for the Japanese to collect rice from the nearby countryside during this winter and the spring, or even during the lean season.
Therefore, he knew that the Japanese would not give up the investigation. Although he had sent Murata Takasuke and Li Qun away this time, they would likely come back next time and would be even more suspicious of him.
On the street, two cars were driving one after the other.
In the back seat of the second car, Murata Takasuke asked, "Li-san, you just saw Ma Dazhi, what do you think of him?"
How do I see? I fucking see with my eyes!
Li Qun muttered to himself, then thought for a moment and said, "Mr. Murata, I've already sent people to investigate. There haven't been any large quantities of rice entering the market lately. Most of the grain and oil shops are selling wheat flour and other grains, with only a small amount of rice available. Moreover, the price of this rice is very high. Not to mention ordinary people, even middle-income families who earn a few dozen silver dollars a month can't afford it. During this period, as soon as rice is put on the shelves in grain and oil shops, it's immediately sold out!"
"So I think Ma Dazhi lied. Either he sold those rice elsewhere, or he was planning to hoard more to drive up the price of rice, and then sell it when he thought the price was high enough!"
Murata Takasuke pondered for a few seconds before saying, "The problem now is that Liu Changhe has been arrested, and his rice business with Ma Dazhi has been forced to stop because of his arrest. However, the grain bureau still doesn't have enough rice to deliver to the military logistics department."
"Was it that the grain bureau didn't put in the effort to collect the grain, or had all the rice in the hands of the rural farmers and landlords been collected?"
Li Qun said, "The grain was purchased by the Grain Bureau. To get to the bottom of this, I think we need to investigate the people at the Grain Bureau! Your Excellency, should we summon You Shichang to the Special Higher Police to ask him what exactly is going on?"
Murata Takasuke thought for a moment and said, "No need, let's go directly to the grain bureau!"
"Now?" Li Qun asked in surprise.
"Yes, right now!"
The arrival of Murata Takasuke and Li Qun greatly frightened You Shichang. When he heard his secretary's report, he thought that his secret rice resale had been exposed.
However, since things had come to this point, he had no other choice but to bite the bullet and receive them.
"Mr. Murata, Director Li, please have some tea. You two didn't even tell me you were coming, so I didn't prepare anything. I can only serve you this tea that I drink myself. I hope you won't find it offensive!" You Shichang adopted a very humble attitude.
Murata Takasuke gave Li Qun a wink.
Li Qun understood and quickly stood up, saying, "You two continue, I'm going to the restroom."
After Li Qun left, Murata Takasuke asked, "Yu-san, tell me the truth, is it that there really no rice to harvest in the countryside, or is it that the people in your grain bureau simply haven't put in the effort?"
When You Shichang heard Murata Takasuke ask this question, he immediately realized that they probably hadn't discovered that he was still secretly reselling rice. He quickly said, "Mr. Murata, I can guarantee with my own integrity that our grain bureau's purchasing agents have really done their best. We have raised the rice purchase price to the highest possible level within the limits of our budget, but we are still receiving very little rice every day."
"Based on my experience, there really isn't much stock left in the countryside. Even if farmers have some, it's only enough for their own consumption. Landlords may or may not have any, but I think they don't have any surplus either. At the current rice purchase price, they can't possibly not sell, because keeping it won't increase the price much. If they miss the opportunity to sell, the price of old rice will plummet when the new rice comes out next year!"
"We have now exhausted all means to hand over all the rice we received to the military logistics department. Of course, most of the grain we handed over was miscellaneous grains and a small amount of barley and wheat."
Fifteen minutes later, Li Qun returned to Murata Takayoshi's side and hinted to Murata that he had just consulted with the grain bureau staff and found nothing unusual.
Just as Murata Takasuke and Li Qun were testing You Shichang, Zhang Yunhe had already followed Ninth Master to his home.
The Ninth Master's family was originally a family of traditional Chinese medicine practitioners, highly respected by their neighbors and renowned throughout Shanghai. However, ever since the Ninth Master joined the 76th Division and became a traitor, their family's reputation has been ruined. People around them avoid them as if they were plague gods.
When neighbors fell ill, even if they were on the verge of death, they would never again seek treatment from Ninth Master's family.
The car stopped in front of the house. Two bodyguards got out first, and then the back door was opened. Ninth Master got out of the car carrying a first-aid kit, took off his sunglasses, and walked into his house under the protection of the bodyguards.
On the wall, a watermark-like light screen suddenly flashed and disappeared.
"Master, you're back!" A maid came out of the house to greet him.
"Hmm, is dinner ready?" Ninth Master nodded and asked expressionlessly.
"It's all ready, we can eat anytime!"
"Let's eat then, I'm starving!"
The two bodyguards who remained in the courtyard walked to the stone bench under the pomegranate tree and sat down. One of them took out a pack of cigarettes, handed one to his companion, and the two lit up and began to smoke.
Zhang Yunhe, who was hiding in the branches of a pomegranate tree, suddenly jumped down, grabbed their hair, and slammed their heads together. With a "bang," the two bodyguards' heads collided, blood splattered, and they died on the spot.
Zhang Yunhe threw down the body, turned around, walked to the door, and knocked: "Knock knock knock, knock knock knock."
The maid opened the door, and she was puzzled, but she didn't see the person who had knocked.
She was wondering what was going on when suddenly everything went black, her consciousness faded, and she collapsed.
Ninth Master, who was eating, sensed something was wrong. He put down his chopsticks, cautiously reached for his waist, grabbed his pistol, and drew it.
"Sister Lin, Sister Lin?" Ninth Master called out twice.
The maid did not react.
Ninth Master, his expression tense, gripped his pistol tightly with both hands, slowly rose, aimed at the door, and strode over.
Suddenly, with a loud "bang," Ninth Master felt as if a huge rock had struck his chest, sending him flying backward and smashing the square dining table to pieces.
Ninth Master struggled a few times, then everything went black and he fainted.
Zhang Yunhe revealed himself, picked up the pistol from the ground, bent down, hoisted Ninth Master onto his shoulder, and left the courtyard!